When you’re querying a small town romance, choosing the right comp titles can make or break your chances of being published because agents and publishing house editors use comp titles as a quick way to gauge the genre of your book along with its market potential.
I regularly update this list of small town romance comp titles to make sure you’re always working with relevant books.
No matter if you’re writing a sweet, slow-burn small town romance or something fast and spicy, you’ll find titles below to help you write a killer query letter!
If you’re looking for something a bit more specific, check out my romance comp database.
- A Very Merry MistakeYear published: 2023Genre and themes: adult, christmas, contemporary, forced proximity, holiday, small town
- Against a WallYear published: 2022Genre and themes: adult, contemporary, enemies to lovers, fake dating, humor, new adult, slow burn, small town
- All Rhodes Lead HereYear published: 2021Genre and themes: adult, contemporary, forced proximity, friends to lovers, slow burn, small town
- At Whit's EndYear published: 2025Genre and themes: Westerns, adult, contemporary, cowboy, forced proximity, found family, friends to lovers, he falls first, small town
- Beg, Borrow, or StealYear published: 2025Genre and themes: adult, chick lit, contemporary, enemies to lovers, rom com, small town
- Beneath the StarsYear published: 2020Genre and themes: adult, contemporary, friends to lovers, new adult, second chance, small town
- Beneath the WreckageYear published: 2021Genre and themes: adult, contemporary, forced proximity, friends to lovers, small town, suspense, workplace
- Bring Me BackYear published: 2022Genre and themes: adult, contemporary, forced proximity, friends to lovers, mental health, slow burn, small town
- Chasing ForeverYear published: 2025Genre and themes: adult, contemporary, forced proximity, found family, friends to lovers, he falls first, slow burn, small town
- Chasing the WildYear published: 2024Genre and themes: Westerns, adult, contemporary, cowboy, dark, forbidden romance, forced proximity, small town
- Come With MeYear published: 2023Genre and themes: Westerns, adult, contemporary, cowboy, friends to lovers, novella, second chance, small town
- Cowboy CasualYear published: 2025Genre and themes: Westerns, adult, contemporary, cowboy, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, second chance, small town
- Crazy in LoveYear published: 2025Genre and themes: adult, billionaire, contemporary, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, found family, slow burn, small town
- Crimson RiverYear published: 2023Genre and themes: adult, contemporary, forced proximity, mystery, small town, suspense
- CrossroadsYear published: 2024Genre and themes: Westerns, adult, contemporary, cowboy, friends to lovers, second chance, small town
- Delicate EscapeYear published: 2024Genre and themes: adult, contemporary, forced proximity, found family, friends to lovers, he falls first, small town, suspense
- Done and DustedYear published: 2023Genre and themes: Westerns, adult, contemporary, cowboy, enemies to lovers, small town
- DownpourYear published: 2024Genre and themes: Westerns, adult, contemporary, cowboy, disability, forced proximity, found family, small town, workplace
- Drive Me WildYear published: 2020Genre and themes: adult, contemporary, forced proximity, new adult, rom com, small town, sports
- DukeYear published: 2025Genre and themes: Westerns, adult, contemporary, cowboy, forced proximity, found family, friends to lovers, he falls first, small town
- Dust StormYear published: 2024Genre and themes: Westerns, adult, contemporary, cowboy, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, found family, small town, workplace
- Eleven ElevenYear published: 2024Genre and themes: adult, contemporary, forbidden romance, forced proximity, found family, he falls first, small town
- Fall at OnceYear published: 2024Genre and themes: adult, contemporary, firefighters, halloween, holiday, small town
- Fall Too WellYear published: 2024Genre and themes: adult, contemporary, holiday, rom com, second chance, small town
- FightYear published: 2025Genre and themes: adult, contemporary, enemies to lovers, firefighters, forced proximity, small town, workplace
- Finding YouYear published: 2021Genre and themes: adult, contemporary, forced proximity, friends to lovers, military, small town, workplace
- Finn Rhodes ForeverYear published: 2023Genre and themes: adult, contemporary, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, friends to lovers, rom com, second chance, small town
- Fire LineYear published: 2024Genre and themes: Westerns, adult, contemporary, cowboy, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, found family, he falls first, small town, workplace
- FlawlessYear published: 2022Genre and themes: Westerns, adult, contemporary, cowboy, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, small town, sports
- Freeing the WildYear published: 2025Genre and themes: Westerns, adult, celebrity, contemporary, cowboy, forced proximity, found family, small town
- GunnerYear published: 2023Genre and themes: adult, contemporary, dark, forced proximity, mystery, small town, suspense
- HeartlessYear published: 2022Genre and themes: Westerns, adult, contemporary, cowboy, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, small town
- Hold Me Until MorningYear published: 2024Genre and themes: adult, contemporary, forced proximity, he falls first, second chance, small town, suspense
- Holding the ReinsYear published: 2024Genre and themes: Westerns, adult, contemporary, cowboy, friends to lovers, small town, sports
- Honeymoon PhaseYear published: 2025Genre and themes: adult, contemporary, forced proximity, friends to lovers, marriage of convenience, rom com, small town
- I Wish I Knew ThenYear published: 2023Genre and themes: adult, contemporary, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, second chance, small town
- If It Makes You HappyYear published: 2025Genre and themes: adult, contemporary, cozy, friends to lovers, slow burn, small town
- If This Was a MovieYear published: 2024Genre and themes: adult, christmas, contemporary, forced proximity, found family, holiday, rom com, second chance, small town
- In a JamYear published: 2022Genre and themes: adult, contemporary, fake dating, forced proximity, friends to lovers, marriage of convenience, second chance, slow burn, small town
- In Your DreamsYear published: 2025Genre and themes: adult, contemporary, forced proximity, friends to lovers, rom com, small town
- Juniper HillYear published: 2022Genre and themes: adult, contemporary, forced proximity, found family, small town
- Like You Love MeYear published: 2021Genre and themes: adult, contemporary, fake dating, friends to lovers, marriage of convenience, rom com, small town
- Lost and LassoedYear published: 2024Genre and themes: Westerns, adult, contemporary, cowboy, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, small town
- Love and Lattes at Pumpkin HollowYear published: 2025Genre and themes: adult, chick lit, contemporary, cozy, halloween, small town
- Love ArrangedYear published: 2025Genre and themes: adult, billionaire, contemporary, enemies to lovers, fake dating, second chance, small town
- Love Next DoorYear published: 2021Genre and themes: adult, chick lit, contemporary, enemies to lovers, rom com, small town
- Love You, Mean ItYear published: 2025Genre and themes: adult, contemporary, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, found family, he falls first, slow burn, small town
- Maggie Moves OnYear published: 2022Genre and themes: adult, chick lit, contemporary, forced proximity, rom com, small town
- Mistletoe Meet CuteYear published: 2025Genre and themes: adult, christmas, football, forced proximity, holiday, novella, small town, sports
- Mixed SignalsYear published: 2022Genre and themes: adult, contemporary, fake dating, friends to lovers, rom com, small town
- More Than I CouldYear published: 2023Genre and themes: adult, contemporary, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, friends to lovers, rom com, small town, workplace
- Mountain GrumpYear published: 2025Genre and themes: adult, contemporary, forced proximity, friends to lovers, marriage of convenience, plus size, small town, smut
- Part of Your WorldYear published: 2022Genre and themes: adult, book club, chick lit, contemporary, rom com, small town
- People WatchingYear published: 2025Genre and themes: LGBT, adult, chick lit, contemporary, friends to lovers, small town
- Practice Makes PerfectYear published: 2023Genre and themes: adult, contemporary, fake dating, friends to lovers, rom com, small town
- ProtectYear published: 2025Genre and themes: adult, contemporary, firefighters, forced proximity, friends to lovers, second chance, small town
- Resisting the GrumpYear published: 2022Genre and themes: adult, contemporary, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, new adult, second chance, small town
- Rewriting the StarsYear published: 2022Genre and themes: adult, contemporary, enemies to lovers, firefighters, forbidden romance, friends to lovers, small town
- Riven KnightYear published: 2020Genre and themes: adult, contemporary, forced proximity, marriage of convenience, mystery, slow burn, small town, suspense
- RootboundYear published: 2022Genre and themes: Westerns, adult, contemporary, cowboy, forced proximity, slow burn, small town
- SawyerYear published: 2025Genre and themes: Westerns, adult, contemporary, cowboy, found family, friends to lovers, he falls first, small town
- Secret HavenYear published: 2025Genre and themes: adult, contemporary, forced proximity, found family, friends to lovers, marriage of convenience, second chance, small town, suspense
- Seven Year ItchYear published: 2025Genre and themes: adult, contemporary, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, rom com, small town
- Sleigh Bells and SnowstormsYear published: 2025Genre and themes: adult, christmas, contemporary, holiday, small town, suspense
- SomedayYear published: 2023Genre and themes: abuse, adult, contemporary, enemies to lovers, friends to lovers, second chance, small town
- Soul SearchingYear published: 2025Genre and themes: adult, contemporary, fantasy, paranormal, small town
- Story of My LifeYear published: 2025Genre and themes: adult, book club, chick lit, contemporary, rom com, small town
- Sunday MorningYear published: 2024Genre and themes: Westerns, adult, contemporary, forbidden romance, new adult, small town
- Sweet TemptationYear published: 2025Genre and themes: adult, contemporary, football, forced proximity, friends to lovers, he falls first, small town, sports
- Swift and SaddledYear published: 2024Genre and themes: Westerns, adult, contemporary, cowboy, forced proximity, small town
- TemptYear published: 2022Genre and themes: adult, age gap, contemporary, forbidden romance, military, plus size, small town, smut
- The Bright Side of ChristmasYear published: 2025Genre and themes: adult, christmas, contemporary, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, holiday, rom com, small town
- The Cinnamon Bun Book StoreYear published: 2024Genre and themes: adult, chick lit, contemporary, cozy, mystery, small town
- The Cinnamon Spice InnYear published: 2025Genre and themes: adult, contemporary, cozy, enemies to lovers, second chance, small town
- The Honeycrisp Orchard InnYear published: 2025Genre and themes: adult, contemporary, cozy, forced proximity, friends to lovers, small town
- The Strawberry Patch Pancake HouseYear published: 2025Genre and themes: adult, chick lit, contemporary, cozy, forced proximity, small town
- The Summer GirlYear published: 2023Genre and themes: adult, contemporary, friends to lovers, new adult, small town, summer, summer reads
- The Summer I Saved YouYear published: 2023Genre and themes: adult, contemporary, forced proximity, friends to lovers, second chance, small town, workplace
- The Sweet SpotYear published: 2022Genre and themes: adult, baseball, contemporary, friends to lovers, slow burn, small town, sports
- The Sweetheart ListYear published: 2023Genre and themes: adult, chick lit, contemporary, family, small town, womens fiction
- Things We Hide from the LightYear published: 2023Genre and themes: adult, chick lit, contemporary, forced proximity, slow burn, small town
- Things We Never Got OverYear published: 2022Genre and themes: adult, book club, contemporary, enemies to lovers, fake dating, small town
- TimelessYear published: 2022Genre and themes: adult, billionaire, contemporary, he falls first, novella, slow burn, small town
- Tourist TrapYear published: 2025Genre and themes: adult, contemporary, forced proximity, found family, friends to lovers, small town, summer, summer reads
- Training the HeartYear published: 2024Genre and themes: Westerns, adult, contemporary, cowboy, forced proximity, small town, workplace
- What Happens at the LakeYear published: 2024Genre and themes: adult, contemporary, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, rom com, small town, sports
- When in RomeYear published: 2022Genre and themes: adult, chick lit, contemporary, forced proximity, rom com, small town
- When You BlushYear published: 2025Genre and themes: adult, contemporary, forced proximity, found family, he falls first, small town, surprise pregnancy, workplace
- Wild and WrangledYear published: 2025Genre and themes: Westerns, adult, contemporary, cowboy, friends to lovers, second chance, small town
- Wild at HeartYear published: 2020Genre and themes: adult, chick lit, contemporary, new adult, small town
- Wild CardYear published: 2025Genre and themes: adult, contemporary, forbidden romance, forced proximity, second chance, slow burn, small town
- Wild EyesYear published: 2024Genre and themes: Westerns, adult, contemporary, cowboy, forced proximity, friends to lovers, small town
- Wild RiverYear published: 2024Genre and themes: adult, contemporary, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, found family, he falls first, small town
- Wild SideYear published: 2025Genre and themes: adult, contemporary, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, found family, marriage of convenience, small town, sports
Other resources to assist with your querying journey
Comp titles are only a small piece of the querying puzzle! Here are other resources I offer to help writers achieve their dreams of publishing their novels:
- Developmental editing services
- Pre-querying package
- Publishers accepting manuscript submissions this month
- Romance tropes list
- Random romance trope generator
Frequently asked questions
How recent do comp titles need to be?
Comp titles should be published within the past five to seven years so it is representative of the current market potential of your manuscript.
Can I use bestselling books as a comp title?
Yes, you can! However, the bestselling books aren’t always the most suitable options. While it’s integral that a comp title has sold well, it’s better to choose a comp title that’s sold less well but closer represents the tone and overall vibe of your own book.
How many comp titles should I include in my query letter?
You should aim for two comp titles in your query letter. You can include three, but agents would expect more than one.
Can I use a series as a comp title?
You can, but it’s best to pick a specific book within that series that best represents your manuscript.
What if I can’t find a small town romance comp title that fits my book?
You can broaden your horizons to also include other subgenres of romance!”